Last updated on March 19th, 2025 at 06:39 am
Okeechobee KOA is the largest KOA campground in the country with 800 campsites on 117 manicured acres with its own nine-hole golf course, driving range and putting greens.
And don’t forget the fishing!
A small city within a city with resort amenities: two swimming pools, tennis courts, a fitness center, lunch cafe, a large convention center and a tiki bar overlooking a small lake.
Less than a half-mile away, ride your bicycle to the Okeechobee Scenic Trail, which makes a 110-mile loop around Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater lake in the U.S.
We usually go for more woodsy, natural camping environment such as those available at state and national parks, but occasionally we break out of the mold to see what the rest of the world is like.
Fishing, Boating, Kayaks, Hiking, Biking, Birding
Jaycee Park
You don’t have to travel far to find the glory of nature spread out before you with beautiful views of Lake Okeechobee. Jaycee Park is a quarter-mile away, straddling the Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds the lake.
From here, you can access the multi-use Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail for bicycling, hiking, skateboarding and roller skating.
Or you can trot out to the end of the 400-foot fishing pier, a platform popular with both fishers and bird watchers, who scan the grassy wetlands before them for rare and exotic species of birds. Here’s the ebird.org checklist with 146 species spotted here since 1990.
As for fish, the lake is home to more than 40 species, but it is known far and wide for its world class large-mouth bass.
At the west end of the park is a sandy beach area, parking and a busy boat ramp. You can launch your kayak or canoe anywhere along the shore, although it may be easiest to break through grass near the ramp.
Keep in mind that lake levels are carefully managed, and during droughts, this area can go bone-dry.
When I visited, the lake was the highest it’s been in years.
Okee-Tantie Recreation Area
This 112-acre park and marina at the mouth of the Kissimmee River is undergoing a major facelift under the guidance of artist and conservationist Guy Harvey.
Meantime, the popular boat launch and marina continues to be a hot spot for boaters setting out onto Lake Okeechobee for a day of fishing, or heading north through a lock into the upper Kissimmee River.
The Kissimmee River is the primary waterway that feeds the lake, and visitors to Okee-Tantie benefit from an unobstructed view of the lake.
The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail detours across the U.S. 78 bridge at Okee-Tantie, and the park provides excellent access to the trail for bicycles and hikers.
The four-mile segment of the trail from Okee-Tantie to Jaycee Park (or vice versa) is a popular and scenic stretch easily managed by bicyclists.
Across State Road 78 is another county park, the C . Scott Driver Recreation Area, which also has very nice boat ramps and an enclosed pavilion that serves as the base for bass tournaments on the lake.
Birders flock to Okee-Tantie and the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail for viewing opportunities. According to ebird.org, 111 species of birds have been identified at Okee-Lantie,
Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST)
Some of the best views of the Lake Okeechobee can be found along the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail right here on the north side of the lake.
The 110-mile trail, which circles the 750 square-mile lake, is popular with hikers and bicyclists.
Much of the trail on the southern half of the lake is closed as the Corps of Engineers beefs up the dike, but the trail is wide open on the north side near the Okeechobee KOA.
Take a ride: This is cow country
The city of Okeechobee is the anchor community of a cattle region that ranges far and wide to the north and east.
Take an afternoon to drive or cruise on your motorcycle along State Road 70 (east) or U.S. 441 (north) and explore the wide-open prairies that support ranches, large and small, that sprawl to the horizon dotted with all breeds of cattle.
Or scoot over to the east side of the lake to discover the road that time forgot, the Martin Highway, a 12-mile stretch of Martin County Road 714 shaded by hundred-year-old oaks framed by pastures, citrus groves, swamps and woods.
The Martin Highway, known locally as the Martin Grade, is a designated Florida Scenic Highway.
Okeechobee KOA Resort, 4276 US-441, Okeechobee, FL 34974. Rates vary and are seasonal.
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